G3 was/is different. Unfortunately, after I clean up and clean out the area basically of the demo (do most players start that way? too) I just lose focus
and start to just create all kinds of crazy shit.

And Steam charges for the Risen 2 demo? A cold day in hell, as they say.

Yea I normally do the same as you makes the game more interesting and last longer if you go of and explore ( I clean up and clean out the area basically) But i feel gothic three lacked on the main campaign and some of side missions were boring i.e. fetch my tool box, get me 6 packs of rice,bread,milk ect.

as for risen 2 fight system I have seen from the youtube does not impress me, they have replaced magic system with some sort of voodoo mind control magic and the whole en faze based on becoming a pirate. but reviews do say that it has a deep story plot I strongly recommend watching on youtube before purchase.

I liked risen 1 that was good game and the fight system was very good just like gothic 1 and 2 but risen 2 i don't like the look feel and i think prirania bytes is adding two much to the theme of the game.

Would anyone be okay with a retcon? Completely ignore the story from ArcaniA and perhaps continue from G3 (still haven't finished it, don't spoil please), or even a prequel.

Maybe not completely ignore Arcania completely , but making it like a secondary chain of events or second place events ( like a small story of an unknown guy who influenced on our main Nameless Hero's life , in a way or another ) which took place after G3 ... or maybe make it like Arcania was a nightmare , that the old NH had .
Anyway , i don't think Gothic should end here , and i really hope it wont . I think there should be atleast one more game in the series , at least one more story that MUST BE TOLD before finishing the whole adventure

Yes to Gothic 5

In my opinion, I still think its possible for a Gothic 5 game because it still feels unfinished after Gothic 3 (I'll just treat Gothic 4 Arcania as having never existed) in which i think the true ending would be the Adanos ending where the nameless hero travels with Xardas to a portal to some unknown place. It would make perfect sense to start a new game from there but i would have to say that this game should be the final "final" ending for the nameless hero.

I reckon that the nameless hero and Xardas would enter the "Unknown lands" as seen on Gothic 3's map, simply for the fact that they are "unknown" and would be a great area for us to explore.

It would be even better if the map were similiar to Skyrim's system where a new area would be marked on the map when it is discovered.

As for the combat system/mechanics, i reckon they could have something between Gothic 2 and 3's combat systems. Something that allows you to attack multiple enemies but still with cool animations for attack moves and stances. They should also put some cool parrying moves and counter-attack moves, maybe some cool execution moves too but still have the speed of attack that we had in Gothic 1 and 2.

Gothic 3's combat system was really weird and slow, but showed some promise to be better. The ranged attacks were OK though but the magic was awfully slow and made you vulnerable, the melee attacks..... just simply need a lot of work.

And of course, they should try to include some familiar things that we had in Gothic 1, 2 and 3. Such as weapons, armour, and some companions. But as the nameless hero and Xardas are entering the "Unknown lands" there should be some really unfamiliar stuff that we've never seen before too. Simply because this is an unknown continent/countries in the Gothic world where weird stuff could exist. If there is anything i would want to see in the unknown lands, it would probably be something similiar to Asian countries. It would also make sense with the quest "Where is the Guru?". The Guru being somewhat similiar to an Indian Sihk guy in our world.

But as a lot guys loved the Gothic 1, 2 and 3 games, i don't see why we can't use Khorinis, The Valley of Mines, Nordmar, Varant and Myrtana in Gothic 5. It would make the game much more enjoyable to revisit these places again and to listen to some of the music (hopefully, it is peaceful music).

Anyway, that's the way i see it. Anyone else think similiarly or differently? Comment below.

Never knew that Lares had to do something with the watermages
I totally agree with Mighty Gorn, Arcania shouldn't be totally ignored. G5 should be take after G3, and you will play as the Unnamed Hero (or Rhobar III)
I also would love to see the "unknown" lands with new magic, weapons, characters, enemies etc... But there still have to be your old friends like gorn, lee, laster, lester, milten etc... Xardas + Xardas tower, magic ore & it must be an open world like G1, G2 & G3. In gothic 4 it was more like an ordinary hack & slash game.

And oh yeah, in G4 King Rhobar III told something about the gods (Adanos, Beliar & Innos) He said he killed / removed them from the world. That could be a problem in G5..

Maybe not completely ignore Arcania completely , but making it like a secondary chain of events or second place events ( like a small story of an unknown guy who influenced on our main Nameless Hero's life , in a way or another ) which took place after G3 ... or maybe make it like Arcania was a nightmare , that the old NH had .
Anyway , i don't think Gothic should end here , and i really hope it wont . I think there should be atleast one more game in the series , at least one more story that MUST BE TOLD before finishing the whole adventure

IMO NH should be the king of Myrtana and in next Gothic game we should play the role of his son who wants to prove to his father he is worthy and goes on an adventure of his own on some other continent. Meanwhile on that continent people are having trouble against an invasion of humanoid creatures similar to orcs from LOTR.

I'd like some story like that, in a new setting with a new NH that is VERY similar to the old one(he would be his son after all).

OFC it'd be nice if we can visit places like Khorinis, VoM, Jharkendar, Myrtana etc but let's be honest, that's a bit too much work for the developers and we've been in those places enough in first 3 Gothic games. Well at least I have, playing each game more than 3 times :P

I only hope they put a beter type of conversation for Gothic 5 then in Arcania, cause these were realy lame: Quest giver: do you have my Mushrooms? Nameless Hero: here are your Mushrooms! Quest giver: ok now i take Mushrooms and make a soup for you! i mean........... come on, this is ridiculos!